Olympic Squander
by xercesawake
Summary: Miranda makes a huge mistake, one that may ruin her relationship with Andrea. They make big changes in an attempt to save their relationship, that include moving across the country. They seem to be happy and their lives seem to be improving in their new home, but strange things start happening to them at all hours of the day that they cannot explain away.
1. Chapter 1

1.

Andrea was returning home from a three month assignment in the Middle East. She had been writing a piece about American drone policy and its negative impact on civilian populations in places like Afghanistan, Pakistan and Yemen. She hadn't told Miranda that she was able to return home a couple of days earlier than she thought. She wanted to surprise her. She missed the woman terribly while she was away. Miranda had convinced her to move in over two years ago. Andrea had been hesitant at first, but found that living with her was one of the best decisions she had ever made.  
Her career as an Investigative Journalist for the_ Mirror_ sent her all over the world in search of the truth behind current global events. It was incredibly demanding at times but she had dreamed of doing nothing else her entire life. Andrea's constant absence put a strain on the relationship, but seemed to work well with Miranda's hectic schedule. As editor of _Runway_ she too traveled quite often.  
The house seemed empty and cold, all was quiet. Andrea figured Miranda was still at work putting the final touches on the December issue. She was always working so hard for _Runway_ that she hardly ever had time for herself. Andrea set down her bags by the bottom steps of the staircase and walked into the kitchen for something to drink.

Miranda's head hit rhythmically against the headboard, she reached above her and pressed against the dark wood, pushing herself harder against the small body that was thrusting against her. Her belly trembling with desire, little cries for mercy leaked from her lips. She needed release so badly. The two women were breathing heavily, their skin beading with sweat. The heat was white hot and burning between them. The younger woman held Miranda's legs open, wanting to watch every inch disappear inside of this beautiful woman. She slowed and pulled the thick extension in and out, reveling in the desperate sounds the woman could not help but make. She pulled it out suddenly and pressed her mouth hard against the editors weeping cunt, dying to taste her work so far.

"Oh Yes!" Miranda cried out. Her hips jerked upward and her hand reached down to demand more pressure. She felt her orgasm approaching with every torturous swipe of her tongue. She combed her fingers through the girls' hair, and held her head in place. She needed more pressure, more speed, more! The girl stopped, and the panting older woman growled with frustration as her limbs trembled violently at the sudden loss.

"Tell me what you want" The young girl commanded, staring up into the older woman's eyes. Miranda threw her head back and breathed a heavy sigh, a wicked smile played on her lips. The young woman loved to make her ask for it, she liked hearing her voice beg. outside of the bedroom, Miranda would do no such thing.

"Fuck me" the writhing editor said through her teeth. Her fists balled at her sides.

"Ask nicely" a teasing voice replied.

"Oh god Please!" she whispered, her body writhing in turmoil, her center pulsing with need.

The thin redhead had a visceral reaction to the sounds the beautiful woman made beneath her. She slowly pushed herself back inside of her, holding her legs up high, and resting them on her shoulders. Miranda's eyes fluttered closed. She could feel the girl reach the sweet spot deep inside of her. Her heartbeat sped up suddenly, her body flooding with heat.  
The young woman thrust against the glowing fashion goddess. She moved gently at first and then harder, but keeping that same torturous pace that drove Miranda wild.

"Oh god Emily!" she whimpered, grabbing at the flesh of the girls pale bottom, pulling the girl into her.

"I need you faster!" She cried out. She was on the edge. Her entire body thrumming with the tension the young woman had worked so hard to build up in the past hour. She was so close, she felt like she might go insane if she did not come soon.

The redhead moved faster, and harder, leaning against her legs, making Miranda feel that stretch across the back of her thighs. The older woman clawed at the sheets, every thrust making her head spin in ecstasy, shocks of pleasure rolled through her body every time all of Emily's weight slammed against her. She could feel herself dripping, dangling over the edge, wanting so badly to feel release.  
-

Andrea's head whipped around, trying to zero in on where that rapid knocking noise was coming from. It seemed to be coming from somewhere upstairs. She stepped out of the kitchen and listened closer. It was silent for a few moments. She was about ready to dismiss it as her imagination run wild due to jet lag or something. The sound came again and this time it was louder accompanied by the sound of voices. She looked up at the ceiling.

"Hello? Is somebody home?" She called out up the stairs.

No reply, but the noise persisted. What the _hell_ is it?She made a slow ascent up the stairs to investigate. As she climbed she wondered what the sound might be. Could it be the girls? Could someone have left a window open? Could it be a burglar? She rounded the corner at the last flight of stairs and it was becoming more and more obvious what she was hearing. She had a terrible sinking feeling in her stomach. She slowly inched toward Miranda's open bedroom door.

Andrea tip toed the rest of her way to the door way, her heart beating progressively faster. She was very careful not to be seen or heard. There was little light in the room, but she saw the dark silhouette of Miranda and another woman. They were so caught up in their passions that they were completely oblivious to her presence.  
An awful feeling twisted her stomach, and she had to stop herself from exploding with anger. The woman had long dark red hair, she was so small… it was_ Emily_. She could hear their thighs slapping against each other, the heavy breathing, and that knocking sound as loud as ever. She peeked around the doorframe into the bed room to look again. Her heart was beating rapidly warming her blood to boil.

There was this nagging feeling inside of her. One she could not ignore. She did not want to look away. Her mind raced with all of the things she wanted to scream at the two of them, she thought she might fall apart from it all but her mouth refused to speak. She felt an ache between her legs, her muscles tensing with need. It had been so long since they had been together in that way, but it had never occurred to her to cheat on Miranda. She never wanted anyone else, never desired another man or woman since the moment they met.

Andrea felt disgusted with herself. Even as she could hear Miranda being fucked in the other room, she still desired no one else; she still felt a need for her alone. She rested the back of her head against the wall and slid down. She listened to the sounds. Every cry torn from Miranda's lips echoed in her entire body, pain and desire coursing through her veins. She had so many emotions running through her that she didn't know what to do. She stood suddenly, shaking her head, wiping her face free of her tears.

Emily slowed her pace again, a sadistic smile spreading across her features. She leaned down, pressing her mouth against Miranda's perspiring skin, kissing her bosses pale shoulder. The desperate sounds she made were loud against her ear, and driving the young redhead mad. She had never seen Miranda look so free, sleeping with her had both its bitter and its sweet elements, seeing her like this was so sweet, so beautiful… so rare.  
There was no sign of love in Miranda's eyes, just the look of an animal shown through. The older woman's body was so worked up that her legs had begun to buck with every forward thrust. The thin redhead slammed against that spot deep inside of her. Her body betrayed her and she began to tremble all over.

"Oh please!" Miranda cried out, between frustrated sighs of pleasure.

She was so close; she could feel it burning inside of her. She was dying to feel that rush overwhelm her body. She wanted it more than anything in that moment, she needed it. Emily buried herself inside of Miranda, putting all of her weight against her.

The older woman's eyes squeezed shut for a moment, her mouth open wide, and an almost panicked look of pleasure overcame her features. She grabbed Emily's small arms and held tight to them. She stared into the young woman's smoky eyes, half lidded and shining with lust.  
Emily's long red hair clung to her sweating body, and hung in her face in curling damp strands.

"I'm coming- Fuck!" Miranda cried out, her body bursting with pleasure.

The initial waves were the strongest. They rolled through her body, spreading warmth and sensitivity to every nerve. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears. She closed her eyes, absorbing the full magnificence of the pleasure that racked her body. Behind her lids, she did not see this skinny girl atop her, but her own curvaceous Andrea.

Andrea walked slowly through the door way, taking a deep breath and fighting the tears from falling from her eyes. Miranda could still feel the waves of pleasure roll through her. She was humming contently beneath the thin redhead. Her eyes closed, her breathing labored, her features flushed. The woman was still inside of her, and her body trembled from the aftershocks, she was in a state of bliss.

The two of them seemed incredibly familiar with each other's bodies; she wondered how long this had been happening. She stepped into a faint beam of white moonlight.  
Miranda slowly opened her eyes, the glow of her orgasm shone even brighter in her blue eyes. Her eyes fell upon Andrea, and she gasped, shoving Emily off of her and sitting up quickly.

"Andrea? Wha-What are you doing home so early, darling?" She asked breathlessly, yanking the white sheets around her body.  
"I wanted to surprise you, but it looks like you had a surprise for me."

She took a seat on the end of the bed and looked at her calmly. Andrea's behavior confused the both of them, and they didn't know what to do. They sat frozen, as if movement might set the brunette off.

"Hi Emily" Andrea said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"You should probably leave." She stared at the sweating redhead, fighting ever impulse to reach across and tear her limb from limb.

Emily didn't move. She was not sure what she should do. What would Andrea do? She looked at Miranda, the woman looked panicked. She pulled at the small pearl that hung from her gold necklace between her fingers, a nervous habit. Her normally pale skin was now bright red in places. The older woman's eyes were filled with regret. Emily had never seen her in such a sorry state. She could see the shame burning through her skin. Her eyes never left Andrea, even as the brunette refused to look at her.

"Miranda?" Emily asked looking from Andrea to Miranda quickly.  
"I don't know why you're even speaking to me right now. Get out!" Miranda nearly barked at the young woman. She did not want _Emily_, she wanted Andrea, always Andrea. Right now she didn't care if she ever saw the redhead again, because she may have just fucked up the best thing that ever happened to her.

"Please… Andrea" Miranda said in a broken voice. Andrea put her head down; chocolate hair fell in front of her face. Miranda sat up and crawled to her, sitting on her legs. She reached out and tucked her lovers' long dark hair back behind her ears. Tears were already falling from her eyes, but the look on Andrea's face magnified her sense of utter shame.

Emily grabbed her clothes from the floor and looked back at the scene she created with a final remorseful look before disappearing out of the bedroom. They sat quietly staring at each other until they heard the muted slam of the front door. Sadness darkened the older woman's features, a terrible ache in her heart made her breathing erratic. It was all over, she knew she had just blown it. Andrea would leave her, she _should_ leave her. But she loved this woman, possibly more than anyone else in her entire life and yet it didn't seem enough to stop her from relapsing into her old habits.

The first couple of times Andrea went on business or Miranda was away, she was able to resist temptation. Being Miranda Priestly, the propositions were frequent and from many beautiful men and women. She was easily able to fend them off in the first year. It had been so easy. But when Andrea's trips were becoming regular, she couldn't seem to control herself any longer.

The devil inside of her _needed_ to sin, and Emily was always there to take care of her. The looks the girl would give her when she knew she was hurting and Andrea was out of town. Miranda had always seen the longing in the young girl's eyes and she was able to dismiss it just like the rest. Emily sensed the growing intensity in Miranda as her problem began to leak into her ability to work. When Andrea had been away for three months working on a story in Palestine, Emily never intended to take advantage of Miranda's problem, but she had never seen a better chance to be with Miranda.  
Looking at her now she felt like a fool, a liar, a cheat. The girl she loved, the one thing she truly wanted, she did not deserve.

"How long?" She asked before she stopped her nervous movements for a moment to look into Miranda's eyes. She wanted the woman to look her in the eyes when she lied.

"not very long" The older woman said, her voice strong, the whites of her eyes glowing with the hope that she might believe it.

Andrea took a deep breath, filling her lungs to the brim with oxygen, she needed every bit of it.

"If you were anyone else, I would not let you do this to me, Miranda. But I love you, more than anyone on this earth and I-I can't lose you, not to her, not to anyone." Andrea wept silently. She hid her beautiful face in her hands, not wishing Miranda to see fully how much this had hurt her. Although, she should see every tear that fell from her eyes, and know that it is her that makes her feel this pain.

"I will do anything to keep you Andrea. I will retire from _Runway_, we'll move, I'll give it all up, I swear, I will, for you!" Miranda replied quickly and passionately, unable to mask her desperation.

She really would, she meant every word of it. She would leave this life behind if it meant that Andrea would stay and that she could one day find it in herself to forgive her.

"You would retire from your _life_ here and move away from New York, just for me?" Andrea said through a curtain of thick brown hair, still wishing to hide her face from Miranda.

"You mean everything to me. Whatever I have to do, my darling I will do it" She said as she tried to brush the hair from her beloveds' face.

She wanted to look at her. She wanted her to know her words were true. When she found her face and held it in her hands, the young woman was frowning, in an attempt to fight back at the emotion in side of her.

"So do it. Move away with me." Andrea said with conviction, letting her hold her face to see her.

Miranda did not say a word for a long moment, she looked into her eyes, searching them for another way but she had said it, she laid the proposition on the table. She had offered to give it all up and she meant it. She was not surprised that she agreed.

The fashion maven had thought many times about retiring and recently she had considered it more than ever. She was tired of the cycle of shit and bad decisions that always was. Leaving behind this fast paced and sinful lifestyle that she had lived for far too long would be the best thing for the both of them. Tonight was her breaking point. Getting away from the big city and all of her responsibilities here would be a welcome change.

"Okay, let's do it" Miranda said finally with a hesitant smile, pulling her distraught young lovers body close to hers.

Even though she felt no affection returned, feeling Andrea's body limp against her, she still squeezed her tight. She never wanted to let her go. She was so thankful for this second chance.

The next morning they woke beside each other, but on opposite sides of the bed. Andrea couldn't find it in herself to let what happened the night before go so easily. She would find no comfort in her arms, but she found comfort in the thought of making big changes. She knew she could still work for the Mirror, essentially from anywhere in the U.S. She was their best journalist and they would make whatever accommodations they needed to keep her around.

She would ask for some time off for a few months so that they could prepare for their move and settle into their new home together. She also planned to negotiate a reasonable amount of time overseas on assignment, but she was not sure how much headway she could make with that.

They decided to move to upstate Washington, the opposite side of the country. Miranda had found a beautiful home situated near the Olympic rainforest. It was a two story luxury cabin situated on the edge of a cliff. They had views of the beach, of the mountains, and beautiful towering cedars of the rainforest. It was perfect for the two of them.  
Most of Miranda's worries melted away once she had taken care of everything she needed to here. She had given her notice to the board at Elias-Clarke that she was going to be leaving _Runway _in a month. Her reasons were sighted as personal, and she promised to help them find a suitable replacement for herself before she left. Irvine was all too happy to see her go. She didn't mind giving it up. She knew she would be happy, just her and Andrea.

* * *

TBC…

My plans for this Fic are different from my other stories. Once they get to Washington, they will experience some pretty creepy stuff. Keep an eye out for later Chapters and please take the time to write a review if you enjoy it so far, they always inspire me to continue writing and therefore, get you your chapters quicker.

-X


	2. Chapter 2

Towering western red cedar trees flew past the windows of a white Tahoe. The engine accelerated along a winding stretch of black road. Green moss draped over nearly every surface of the forest around them but the strip of asphalt that cut through it like a great shiny black snake in the grass. The air was thick with moisture; it was alive and exhaling a mist that kept the air humid outside the window. Miranda's lips curled into a small smile, one filled with melancholy, a part of her missing the life she was leaving behind but she felt good about it.

A blur of trees passed on both sides of her vehicle. It was all she had seen for miles. It put into perspective the enormity of the rainforest she was driving through. It was so exotic compared to the island of concrete and metal she had called home for so long. She could see small streams bubbling over rocks and under fallen trees. She even saw the occasional critter that she couldn't quite identify. It was so charming that she was never bored during her drive. The line of trees to her left turned into sky and she saw a calm gray ocean that tumbled toward a steep rocky shore at a distance.

She had been driving forever it seemed, it had to be nearly three hours since they left Sea-Tac. The drive on top of a six hour flight was beginning to take its toll on the middle aged woman. Her body was heavy from constant motion. It had been a long day and her muscles began to cramp sitting restlessly in one position. She was exhausted. She wanted to stretch her legs for a while.

The house was a short distance ahead of them. It was hidden from the road by the vegetation that surrounded it. She could barely see it peeking from behind the foliage but she couldn't mistake the northern cedar logs that were piled neatly atop each other into a bright two story home. The front windows were tall and wide, the scene around them reflected off of the glass. It was so perfect, her heart fluttered with delight.

Miranda turned her vehicle onto the long dirt driveway. The tires crunched the earth beneath it as the tires moved along slowly. She reached over and nudged a sleeping Andrea. The brunette's eyes opened slowly, not sure if she wished to move.

"We're home, sweetheart" Miranda said as she saw the young woman sit up in her seat.

The look of excitement in her eyes brought happiness to Miranda's heart as she watched the young woman gaze out of the window at their new home. This was something that was theirs. This was a new beginning for the both of them. Miranda was eager for it to begin. Andrea reached over and grabbed the former editor's hand, squeezing it affectionately.

"Oh, Miranda, It's so beautiful" she whispered as let go and she climbed out of the SUV.

She walked up the wooden steps to the front door. The older woman hung back to observe the girl's first impressions. She felt so grateful that the amazing woman had not given up on their relationship. She was always so afraid Andrea would hurt her, that the girl would grow come to the realization that she could do better. It had always been in the back of her mind, and occasionally it wandered into her thoughts. Andrea would find someone else one day.

She imagined she would find some handsome young man who would be just as wonderful and as perfect Andrea. A man who would easily beat out an old woman like herself, with all of the baggage and bullshit she carried around with her. The insecurity about the age difference began to lead to very bad decisions. She tried not to even think about the possibility of Andrea with anyone else. Her chest tightened painfully at the thought. _You beat Andrea to it, though. Didn't you old woman? _She placed her hand across her chest, warming the skin beneath them, as if to control her beating heart.

She hadn't even been attracted to Emily. She was just there when she lost control. Once the animal is released its only reason for breath is to fulfill the desires that burned inside of her, to feed a hunger that burned in its intensity. It was an animal she had beaten into submission time and time again but it was stuck to her, like a curse. It will forever be never attached to her, it must be drug behind her in its cage. She had only hoped it would remain there.

The air was thick, the house surrounded by towering, bigger than belief cedars that were blotted with green fuzz. The air was so clean here they both took deep breaths, greedily sucking in the cleanest air the two had breathed in years. They could taste the salt blowing in from the sea and the nature around them. They could hear the quiet roar of the ocean that was their back yard.

She looked out over the cliff and saw the gray waters that seemed to disappear into a mist, without a start or an end from her stand point. They were completely isolated here. It was going to be a big change from living feet from neighbors to living miles away from them.

They had not spoken about her infidelity since that night. They had been so busy planning the move that they had no chance to. She knew Andrea did not want to think about it, so she had not brought it up in a conversation and the former fashion editor had been relieved that she had not. It felt easier just to forget it even happened.

They walked around their new home. Their heels echo on the dark wood in the empty space. They used a flash light to explore each room. The power would not be on until the following morning, the movers and the technicians would not be there until the early morning either. They had an air mattress, candles and bedding for the evening along with a bag of luggage. They would have to sleep here without certain comforts for the night but they both sort of liked the idea of it. It was the closest thing to camping that they had either experienced.

Even without much light they admired the place with every step they took. It had high, vaulted ceilings, large beams running throughout. Dark hardwood floors contrasted the light logs that surrounded them. The tall stone fireplace stood high against the wall in the living room, facing a wide open space where they would put their furniture. The entire back wall of their home was a sliding glass door that led to a covered patio. They looked out at the pacific rolling toward them. Its dark blue waves rolled in an endless dance. It tumbled mutely on the other side of the glass, calming in its motions. The light from outside lit the space here more than anywhere in the house.

"Let's go upstairs" Miranda's voice echoed. She pointed the flashlight around, searching for the steps with Andrea by her side.

They made their way upstairs. The only rooms up here were a study and their bedroom. They open the door to a massive room with its own fireplace and balcony. The ceiling was high and the light poured in like it did in the living room. They sat down their luggage and the box with an air mattress. Miranda slid open the glass door to the balcony and the sound and smell of the ocean beneath them rushed into the room.

They stepped outside taking in the fresh salty air that came from the sea. Miranda wrapped her arms around Andrea, forgetting for a moment the reason that they were here, forgetting the damage she had done, she held onto her like she was at risk of being swept away.

Andrea did not return her embrace for a long while and the feeling of rejection began to flood her aged limbs. She felt her cheeks begin to warm with embarrassment but the young woman suddenly unraveled in her arms. She could feel her muscles relax and was startled when the force of Andrea's grip squeezed her torso against her, her face pressed hard onto her warm bosom.

"Miranda" the young woman breathed.

"If you ever…again. I just couldn't stand it. Please… promise me" her sweet voice pleaded, unable to control the shaky breaths.

She could feel her chest begin to dampen with Andreas tears. She was sure the girl could hear her heart breaking apart inside of her. She tried to hold back the tears that began to break free from the mass of emotion that sat hotly in the back of her throat. This was the moment she was afraid of. The moment she tried to prepare herself for. She tried to think of the right thing to say. She had imagined an entire speech in which she would say all of the right things but now she couldn't speak. She was so afraid that one wrong word would escalate the conversation to a place she didn't want it to go that she feared to speak at all.

"Darling... I will never hurt you like that again"

Miranda pulled her tighter, the little sound that came from her lover was weak but it was enough to send a stab of pain to her gut.

"I promise"

The urge to kiss her was unbearable. This woman needed more than words to know that what she said was the truth. The need to pull her to her lips burned through her. She looked into her eyes and saw the sadness that swam there. The pain in her stare crushed her completely. She closed her eyes and felt tears seeping from the corners of them. She was unsure if Andrea would accept but she tried to breathe normally as she leaned forward and captured those swollen lips in a slow sweet kiss.

Miranda had nearly forgotten how long it had been since she was this close to her. It had been months. The night before she left on assignment was the last time they had made love. She closed her eyes and held back a sob as she felt Andreas tongue softly trace her bottom lip.

That night had been so wonderful. They came home late and stayed up the rest of the night trying desperately to get their fill of each other before they were to be oceans apart. It had been three long months. During that time, she had one particularly terrible day at _Runway_. She had nearly fired the entire staff.

Emily ran into her at a bar close to her Townhome later that evening. The girl claimed to have been stopping by for a drink after she had dropped off the book but Miranda knew she had come here looking for her. She none the less had invited her to have a drink, which turned to two and then several glasses of whiskey later.

"Do you miss Andy?" she remembered Emily asking her. The redheads light green eyes were glazed over and far away.

"Every second" she had answered.

"But… you need something. I can see it in your eyes Miranda" She had been her assistant for years, of course she could see that she was losing control. The British woman had always wanted to be something more to her. When Miranda needed Andrea, Emily wanted to be there to show the editor she didn't need her at all.

"I can help you with that" she had whispered to her.

They were both lit, and the older woman's inhibitions were nearly gone. The offer had woken up her sleeping body. She wanted to say no it was so damned easy with everything else. It should be easy, she loved Andrea, certainly not this Anorexic British woman. She knew what the girl was up to but all she could think was that the townhouse was only a short walk from the bar.

The older woman acknowledged that she had a problem; she couldn't deny it any more. She was an addict and had been since she was a young woman. She had always had an addictive personality, one that led to many dark nights nearly drowning herself in whiskey when she was young woman. With the exception of that night with Emily, she hadn't been wasted in 2 years. It had been her catalyst. It brought her desire to be worshiped and to satisfy a very powerful need to control to the surface.

She enjoyed every second of being a fashion mogul. She found satisfaction in giving many of her best years to _Runway_. It was the only relationship she had ever been fully committed too. But more than she loved controlling an empire, she loved controlling others. She loved bringing a lover to their knees, she loved being worshiped like the queen she knew she was and then relinquishing that control to be fucked into a mess of unbridled ecstasy. Sometimes the desire she felt coursing through her made her feel like something that should be caged, something that was feral and ran on instinct alone.

Most of the time she believed it, that's why she keeps that devil hidden deep inside of her. She used to sleep with models, socialites, and celebrities from all professions and genders. Her phone was filled with numbers of beautiful people she could call and invite over at any time of night. It had been her secret, one that she had miraculously kept out of the public eye. It was something Emily had never understood why she wasn't a part of and had strived for since she found out.

After years of meaningless sex with people Miranda had no desire to see outside of the bedroom had grown nearly unbearable. Her entire life had become unbearable. She woke up each day feeling lonelier than the day before. She even found herself wondering why she was still alive. But one glorious morning a beautiful young woman walked into her office and shocked her system back to life, recharging the energy in every cell of her body. She knew then, that she would love her.

After she met Andrea everything changed. The nights she shared with her were filled with endless conversation and a happiness that she had never felt before by just being close to her. A feeling she knew only came with being in love. She was convinced she had finally found someone who was worth her while. Although, she could not understand for the life of her why this delicate young creature cared so much for an old bird like herself, she felt very grateful that such a blessing had been bestowed upon her.

She wanted more than anything to share those moments again. She worried it would never be the same. If they could even find their way back to the place they called heaven, when they had not visited in so long. She slid her fingers tenderly through Andrea's heavy dark hair, massaging her scalp and pulling her face closer, tilting her head to deepen the kiss. All the love she felt for the young woman fell through her lips and into the tenderness of her mouth against hers.

The brunette sighed and pulled away, reality seeping back into the moment. She brought her fingers to her lips and sighed, the pain was still locked in her features but it somehow looked less severe. The older woman laid her silver head on her shoulder.

"Let's go into town and eat some dinner. We'll buy a bottle of wine and come back spend the rest of the evening here" She said as she began to play with the ends of her hair at her back.

The girl nodded. The intensity of their kiss could still be felt in the air, crackling like static electricity above them as they stood in each other's arms on the balcony. The pacific rolled toward them gently a hundred feet beneath them. Their lips were pink and their eyes were lost in a haze. Miranda took her hand and they went back inside their bedroom together.

They drove to a town north of them called Lily. It had one main road that ran right through the heart of the community. The road was lined with small shops and offices. They parked their white Tahoe in a gravel lot across the street from a diner. The entire town front looked all the same. They were dark log structures; much like their own home but it was much darker wood.

They sat themselves in a tattered old booth near one of the windows inside the diner, directly beneath an air vent. It felt crisp and cool around them. It was a pleasant contrast from the mugginess that stuck to them like honey outside. They could see the entire town from where they sat but it wasn't much to see.

Andrea stared instead at the beautifully aged woman across from her. She felt a twinge of resentment toward her and then heartache as she began to admire the perfection of her face, every crease, every freckle and that sparkle in her eye. The way she played with her jewelry when she was anxious.

She adored the woman; her physical attraction to her was strong as it had ever been. Right now, with her eyes low and as blue as they were staring back at her, she felt her chest swell in admiration. But just as quickly she thought of those eyes staring into Emily's from beneath her slim form. The image was burned into her brain. Betrayal was what she felt more than anything even though she loved Miranda, she couldn't help but feel… sad.

They were obviously not normal inhabitants of the area. Miranda was dressed head to toe in Versace. She even wore a thick gold and diamond watch around her wrist and giant designer lenses on top of her silver head. She became painfully aware of how someone like her practically screamed in the faces of everyone in her path 'not from around here'. Every eye in the diner was on them, watching them, observing them as if they were monkeys at the zoo.

_Look at the fancy lesbians,_ Miranda could practically hear them whispering now.

"Hi, I'm Jess. I'll be taking care of you two" A bubbly young blonde greeted them at their table. She set two glasses of water in front of them. The condensation rolled in beads down the sides of the glass like sweat.

"Are you two just driving through?" She asked after she had taken their order. Her eyes were innocent in question but Miranda regarded her with cautiousness and hesitated to share. There was something strange with this girl. She couldn't quite put her finger on what it was.

"No, we just moved into a house south of here" The older woman answered, shortly.

She found that her hand had begun playing with her earring as she spoke. She needed to get used to the idea of being in a small town. She would have to shed the icy persona she had played for so long in the big city. Maybe the girl was just being friendly, that's why she was so weird to her. She wanted to be happy here and she knew that was by being nice to other people. Also, this was the closest town to their home. It would not be wise to make enemies.

"Oh wow! Where from? You're both so glamorous and beautiful" the young girl giggled and reached over the table to pick up the necklace around Miranda's neck to admire the shiny gold and diamond leaves that wrapped around her long pale neck.

The girl was too close. She was being too friendly now. Miranda could smell her weak perfume; she could see the dark mascara caked heavily onto her lashes and the tacky blue shadow on her lids. She looked straight into her eyes. _Oh no. I know that look_. Miranda managed to control the instinct to slap her hand away. This girl was 'playing' with her three thousand dollar necklace in her grubby little fingers. She was smudging the metal. Is this the girls' idea of a come on?

The older woman looked her over, her stare as cold as ice as she stared back at the girl. No expression on her cold face just an icy blue gaze. Miranda cleared her throat after she was realized the teen would not break her stare. She gently pulled the necklace from the girl's fingers until she let go. Her usual defenses of her seemed to have no effect on this teen.

"We're from New York City" Miranda answered as she leaned back and took a sip of her water, laying her hand flat over the necklace around her neck as if to shield it from another assault from the filthy girl.

"New York City? I've always wanted to visit" her eyes lit up. "I bet it's amazing. What's it like?" A girl from a small town like Lily had only seen women like them in the movies. She was fascinated by the two of them but more particularly Miranda. She had certainly never seen an older woman like her before.

"Well, when you've spent most of your life in Manhattan, battled the assholes, the noise and the traffic, the magic of the city tends to wear off." Miranda said as she suddenly found herself playing with her earring.

"Mam, when you've spent most of your life away from the world in a town like this, you crave the chaos of a big City."

"Please, I'm not a mam. My name is Miranda, and this is Andrea."

"The city is great, really but it just doesn't hold much mystery for me anymore"

"Well, we're glad to have you two" The teen glanced at the brunette and then winked at the older woman before she walked back toward the kitchen.

The blonde added an extra sway to her hips for good measure. She looked back over her shoulder, and Andrea saw her looking at the back of Miranda's head, her eyes clouded with daydreams. The teen locked eyes with the brunette next to her and saw her smile and the arch brow. The girl couldn't help the blush that crept up her skin as she shook herself from her thoughts and pushed open the kitchen doors.

Andrea nudged Miranda next to her with a look of amusement. She was about to take a sip of her drink and was purposefully looking away from her.

"She was totally flirting with you" she said her mouth open with a smile spreading across her features. The girl couldn't be a day over seventeen. She wanted to laugh. It was kind of adorable. This small town teenager must be very curious about all aspects of city life.

"It's weird, isn't it?" Miranda said with a sigh, her own lips turning into a cocky smile.

"Who could blame her, though?" She sat up straight for a moment and stuck her nose in the air.

"I'm fucking fabulous"

Andrea laughed at her haughty pose and also at the truth of her statement. She was certainly one fabulous woman. She didn't blame the girl either. They sat snug together in their booth, giggling and smiling at each other.

_There she is_ Miranda thought. _There's my girl._ Her fingertips ached to brush the hair from her lovers beautiful face, to hold her close and to whisper in her ear how beautiful she looks.

After they finish their dinner, and the sun had set. The sky suddenly released the moisture it had kept locked inside all day. The rain fell to the ground warm and dotted their clothes with drops of water. They rushed into a market across the street a short distance from the gravel lot they had parked in earlier. They shook the water from their hair and looked around the store. Andrea went for the snack isle to find them something to eat in the morning. Without electricity or any appliance, her options were limited to breakfast bars. She grabbed a few and tugged a couple of bottles of water from the cooler.

Miranda was on the other side of the store, reading the label on a bottle of wine. Her glasses perched on the tip of her nose. By the look on her face, she was not happy with their selection. She half-heartedly scanned the choices on the shelf. None of them were nearly good enough. There wasn't a bottle over sixty dollars, Unacceptable.

She asked the man behind the counter for the best bottle he had. He walked around back as Andrea sat the rest of their things on the counter. The man brought back a bottle of Buccella Red-Cabernet Sauvignon from California.

"Aged ten years…It's a two hundred and sixty dollars a bottle, but worth it" the man mused as he handed the bottle to Miranda for her to examine.

"Excellent, I knew you were hiding the good stuff. We'll take it, Oh and we'll also need some of that firewood outside" she said as she set the bottle on the counter next to their breakfast.

The rain poured down on them in buckets on their drive back. They were soaked when they ran inside their home from the car. Miranda closed the front door behind her and turned the deadbolt over to lock it. It was dark in the house, the only light came from the cloudy skies over the ocean through the windows along the back of the house. There was still no power and there wouldn't be until morning, yet she still tried to flip a light switch. She pulled her cell phone out of her purse and used its light to find their way to the stairs. They had left the flashlights and candles upstairs.

Once they got to their room, Miranda unpacked the flash light and flicks her lighter to touch a bright flame to the wick of a candle. She sat them in different places throughout the room, giving it a golden hue that stretches up the walls. Once they had sufficient light, the older woman began peeling her damp clothes off of her body. They would ruin if she didn't hang them up to dry soon. She stepped out of her skirt last, her beautiful lacy lingerie the only thing she wore. Her skin glowed in the candle light, her body was wet. Andrea could see the drops of rain drip from her short silver locks and down her back.

Andrea searched for the Air Mattress box. She pulled the heavy deflated mass out of its box and unfolded it on the floor. She used the pump to air it up. The loud shrill hum of the tiny machine drowned out the sound of the rain for a moment. Miranda began placing wood in the fireplace along with crumpled up pieces of newspaper. She squirted some lighter fluid on the wood and lit the end of a piece of newspaper before throwing it in. She suddenly felt a thud in the floor, under her feat. She looked over at Andrea; she was leaned up against the wall with a lazy way about her, just holding the pump upright while the mattress began to rise from the floor. Then she heard something downstairs, it sounded like a door had been slammed.

Miranda shushed Andrea and the sound came out harsher than she had intended but she had meant for her to turn off the air pump. The thing was so damned loud. Andrea did so with a scowl at the rudeness of her request. The older woman stood and only in her underwear she held the fire poker to her side as she listened for any noise downstairs. Andrea stared at how the older woman glowed in the light of all of the candles.

"Did you hear that?" Miranda asked as she cocked her ear to the door, listening for movement.

"Hear what?" Andrea's eyes grew bigger, snapping out of the trance her lovers body had put her under, when she saw the seriousness in her face.

"What is it Miranda?" She came to sit by her side. They both stared at the closed door in front of them, listening to the rain pitter patter on the roof top, halfway expecting someone to open that door at any moment.

"I thought I heard something downstairs." Miranda said as she listened for a bit longer, she was on the verge of abandoning her worry about the noise when she heard a faint creak beneath her feet. She grabbed her flashlight and held tight to the steel poker in her hand. She felt a bit more secure with a weapon. She opened the door and peeked out. She strained her eyes to see down to the living room beneath them.

Everything looked fairly normal, but the rain was incredibly loud out there. As if someone had left a door or a window open. Her heart jumped inside her chest when she saw a small black figure hunched in the corner of the living room, hiding in the shadows. There was a trail of water leading to it. She followed its path with her eyes and saw that the front door was wide open.

"Looks like the front door blew open, and there's some kind of… animal in the house" Miranda whispered as she looked back at Andrea from where she stood in the door way.  
When she shone the beam of her flashlight back at the spot where the animal was, the dark figure had disappeared, with no trail to indicate where it had gone.

Her entire body was aware of its surroundings suddenly. Her muscles tensed inside of her.  
She crept slowly down the stairs, the shadow of the raindrops on all of the windows in the living room were splattered across the walls. It was so dark down here. She could hear the rain shower clearly outside, without the mute of the walls. She saw that the front entry way had accumulated quite a puddle.

She waited on the staircase for a moment. She listened for any sign of another presence, her eyes relentlessly scanning the room and the shadows for movement. After a couple of minutes she sighed and berate herself for being so paranoid, she came to the conclusion that the door simply did not catch properly and the wind had flung it open. Although, she didn't remember feeling winds like that on the way home it was the best explanation she could come up with.

She quickly walked down the stairs with an extra spring in her step, her irrational fear moving her faster along than she normally would move. She closed the front door and locked it. She gave it a tug and it held strong. She looked it over with confusion and shrugged when there was no evidence of anything wrong with the door itself.

"Andrea, honey, could you bring me some towels?" She called up the stairs, seeing the puddle on the floor and not wishing to leave it to ruin the dark wood.

Though all she wanted to do was to run back upstairs to the illusionary safety of her bedroom and Andrea, as if the young girl could protect her from whatever she imagined had opened the front door, whatever that creature was in the shadows. She walked around puddle, trying to figure which way was best to mop up such a mess and she stopped suddenly. She noticed two watery footprints that led to the opposite side of her house, human footprints but they had disappeared after what seemed like only two steps.

Maybe she had stepped in it and had not realized it? Her feet were dry though…

She was really starting to freak herself out. She was a bit more worried about her own mental health the possibility of their actually being someone in their house. She felt quite sure that it was only her and Andrea here. The alternative was that they weren't alone and that at that very moment, some unknown person, with unknown motives was watching her in the shadows of her own home. She liked to think she was crazy before she even considered that possibility. The door to the room upstairs opened suddenly and it made Miranda jump where she stood. Andrea emerged with some towels in her hands.

"What was it?"

"Oh, it's nothing, just the door. I must not have closed it very well. There's a lot of water on the floor" Miranda said reaching for the fluffy white towels and laying them flat out on top of the mess, watching the moisture seep through the fabric of the towel.

She layered all four of them on top of the puddle and letting them absorb the mess before gathering all of them at once in a huge wad and setting them in the kitchen sink. Their washer and dryer even their refrigerator was not here. No power or anything. So she had no choice but to lay the sopping towels in the sink until tomorrow when she could wash them.

"Those are really dirty, did it drag some mud in? Wait.. Is that… is that blood?" Andrea asked as she turned the towels over in Miranda's hands. She could smell the metallic scent of the blood, and see the red that it had stained their nice towels.

"Ugh, that animal must have been injured" Miranda said as she held the dripping red towels at arm's length. She opened the front door again and threw them outside to deal with at another time. They were ruined anyway. She wondered quietly to herself where that animal had gone, if it was hiding somewhere down here trying to die or something. She hoped she wouldn't find its corpse somewhere in the house later. She was not good with that sort of thing.

They both went back to the bedroom where Miranda started the fire and Andrea finished setting up their mattress. They settled into the bouncy cloud of air and Miranda snuggled into Andrea's back and the young woman welcomed her. They fell into a peaceful sleep in each other's arms.

* * *

Andrea sat up in the bed. It must have been early morning because the sun was barely peeking from beneath the oceans endlessness. Miranda's blankets were in a crumpled mess beside her. The bathroom door was open, she wasn't there. She peeked out the door to their bedroom and called her name. There was no response, not a sound.

She made her way down the stairs and looked around for any sign of her. The front door was open. She stepped outside and onto the porch. She could see it from here. The white Tahoe rocking steadily in front of their house, immersed in the fog of morning. She wanted to be hallucinating, this couldn't be real. She wouldn't do it again, she promised. _She promised._

She walked closer, hearing groans as her bare feet crushed damp green grass beneath her stomping feet. She could see the silver head moving inside. She could see the pair of long tan legs wrapped around her. She was close enough now to see what they were doing. She pulled open the car door and took in the scene before her.

Miranda's lips were tugging on the nipple of that waitress from the diner. _Impossible. How could she?_ _She was practically a child!_

They weren't stopping. The older woman hummed as she used her teeth to nip at her delicate bronze skin, looking up at Andrea seductively, as if this was a normal thing to discover, as if Andrea would be happy.

"Andrea, join us" The teen whispered, reaching out to her.

The anger was too much, it completely overpowered the steady throb between her legs. The next thing she knew she was yanking the girl from the vehicle and slamming her into the dirt. Her limbs were not hers to control any longer, she felt herself picking up a heavy branch, and indescribable pleasure as she lifted it above her head while she straddled the teen on the ground. She reared back and slammed the limb against her face. The girls face distorted beneath the assault. Something wasn't right, her face was morphing beneath her. There was no blood and no tears. She could hear a distant noise, a ringing. It was loud, and getting louder, she wanted it to stop. It picked her up off the ground and away from the scene, up into the trees.

Andrea sat up quickly in the bed, panting and on the verge of tears as she sat there trying to catch her breath. She looked outside the window of their bedroom. The sun was just beginning its ascent into the early morning sky.

"Is everything okay? What is it?" Miranda asked sitting up suddenly in a panic, still not fully awake or aware. Her short hair was sticking up in odd places and her makeup was smudged beneath her eyes. She was worried the animal had made its presence known, or that _someone _had. She couldn't get the footprints out of her head, something was not right. She stayed awake last night, listening to the sounds of her home as she lay against her lover. She didn't even know she had fallen asleep.

"Yeah, I'm okay" Andrea said with a sigh, pushing her sweaty bangs from her forehead and laying back down.

"Just a bad dream."

* * *

Been crunched for time but I managed to churn this one out for you guys.

Leave some love!

-X


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